“Establish for us the pure ḥanīf faith; you are our leaders, models for every plait-haired champion to imitate.”

Al-Wāqidī reports—on the authority of his informants—that Ibn al-Aslat travelled to Syria. The house of Jafnah met him on the way and treated him generously. He questioned some monks, who invited him to embrace their religion, but he declined. One monk said to him, “You are looking for the religion of the ḥanīfiyya, and that lies behind you, in the land from which you have come.”

Afterwards he came to Mecca as a pilgrim performing ʿumrah and met Zayd ibn ʿAmr ibn Nufayl. He told Zayd his story, and from then on Abū Qays would say, “No one remains on the religion of Abraham except me and Zayd.”

When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ arrived in Madinah, the Khazraj and the Aws had already accepted Islam—save the sub-clan known as Aws Allāh, who stayed with Ibn al-Aslat, their champion horseman and spokesman, and who had fought on the Day of Buʿāth. People said to him, “Abū Qays, this is the very man you used to describe!” He replied, “A man who has been sent with the truth.”

He then came to the Prophet ﷺ, who laid out the laws of Islam for him. “How excellent and beautiful this is,” he said, “but allow me to reflect on my affair.” He was on the verge of entering Islam when he encountered ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ubayy and informed him of his intention. Ibn Ubayy said, “By Allah, I detest warfare with the Khazraj.” Abū Qays grew angry and said, “By Allah, I shall not accept Islam for a full year!” Yet he died before that year had passed.

Ibn Abī Ḥabībah relates—through Dāwūd ibn al-Ḥuṣayn, from his elders—that they used to say: “At the moment of death he was heard proclaiming Allah’s oneness.” Allah knows best.